Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
A/N: What I was listening to while writing: Niji by Ninomiya Kazunari. You can find the video on my livejournal. I'd prefer if you listened to it, before reading. Enjoy! Please read the Author's Note once you finish this chapter. It's important. Thank you!
I was thinking of you as I drifted into sleep,
And I dreamt of you,
I would have never opened my eyes,
Had I known I was dreaming
…
They had been sailing full speed for a good two hours, after their little talk with Whitebeard, Marco had let his blue flames erupt in pure anger. It was a good thing that his flames were only meant for healing or else Aiko and everything inside their ship would have been completely fried. They didn't bother saying goodbye to the Strawhats, since Luffy had already decided that he wouldn't be following Ace. They were quick to cut the rope that connected their ships, before turning on their paddle system. Leaving without any notice.
Their minds filled with more important things.
"How long 'til we get there, yoi?" Marco asked the woman in front of him, her hair was a tangled mess, the strong wind not helping the situation. She was staring longingly out into the ocean. The New World was so close, he could tell that she wanted to be back there as soon as possible.
"Half an hour." Aiko muttered, looking behind her to give the Phoenix a sad look.
Their time together was near its end. A few more hours, before they'd go their separate ways. He'd be off to war and Shanks would be intercepting Emperor Kaido who would undoubtedly take advantage of Whitebeard's absence. Though, she doubted Marco knew what Shanks and the Red Hair Pirates would be up to, he was too preoccupied with worry over his brother, after all. Plus, Shanks had told her -in his call- not to tell the Phoenix that they'd be helping them in their own little way. It would be a blow to their pride as the fearsome Whitebeard Pirates.
"Rockstar should be at Sabaody in about six or seven hours, tops. He's probably travelling with Lucky or Yasopp."
"Yea." Marco muttered in acknowledgement, ignoring whatever stupid emotion that was welling up in his chest at the moment. He looked at Aiko, before leaning on the railing of the ship and closing his eyes. His mind preoccupied with thoughts of Ace and the idiot's well-being, preoccupied with his failure of the mission entrusted to him by Pops. This was the first time he had failed to complete a task assigned to him. He clenched his fist in frustration, of all the times to fail, why did it have to be now?
Aiko watched him for a moment, before she placed her hand over his clenched one. The man looking at her and immediately relaxing as she brought his hand up and placed it gently over her cheek, cuddling into it with that same expression she had on when he saw her speaking over Gin's lonely grave. Affection, grief, longing, so many things flashed across her face as she let it rest snuggly in his hand. As if his presence was the most important thing in the world.
"I'm sorry, Phoenix." Aiko mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. She had her eyes closed. Tight. As if she were going to cry, but of course, no tears escaped. She wasn't one to cry, especially not around him. "Even though I was here, we still failed."
He leaned down, bumping his forehead against her own. The heavy feeling of regret stung both of them, sadness looming around both their forms. Maybe if they had left on their journey earlier, maybe if they had taken a different turn, maybe if they had gotten more Eternal Poses along the way, maybe if they didn't take so long gathering information then maybe, just maybe…
Ace would be with them now.
"I'm gonna bring him back this time, yoi." He said with determination, his body tense with barely restrained fury. "I'll even introduce you."
"Okay," She mumbled, the two taking a moment to keep their heads close, before Marco moved away. Withdrawing from her as he continued saying what needed to be said.
"Pops' should be at Fishman Island in about ten hours." He watched her take a breath, before opening her eyes to fully look at him. "It'll take me four or five hours to get down there, so I should probably leave first, yoi."
She nodded, rubbing the railing of the ship fondly. Marco would be taking Tofu down there with him, since Aiko had no need of a ship once they got to Sabaody. "You take care of him for me, okay?" She said quietly, in a way that the Phoenix was sure he wasn't supposed to hear, before she said in a louder, clearer voice. "We've had a good run, haven't we Phoenix?"
This little adventure of theirs felt like a dream, one already dissolving into reality.
He gave her a strained grin. "The best."
She smiled back in return, that magical smile that could ease his worry without fail. "Should I go and pack my things?"
They had already docked at Sabaody, Marco had called in some coater that he once knew. The man was a pro, coating the ship in under an hour as Marco paid the man handsomely. Aiko had just finished packing her things, placing them all in a bag on the table in their shared room. Her large pack beside Marco's considerably smaller one. She took the Mist Mist no Mi from the chest where it sat, before placing it into a separate, smaller chest for her to bring back to Shanks. As she stuffed the chest into her already large bag, she thought of her mates and how they would most likely tease her for losing to the Phoenix commander, but that just couldn't be helped.
The man was much too powerful, plus, if they hadn't noticed, he could heal at will. How the hell was she supposed to compete with that? Cuff him in sea stone? How does one even cuff someone like Marco anyway?
It was next to impossible.
She could see the stars beginning to peak out from the window. What had they been doing for the past day and a half? Marco tending to her wounds, running into a Marine hero, flying, going through the Florian Triangle, meeting Luffy, finding out about Ace and finally, docking at Sabaody where they'd be going their separate ways.
Somehow, their time together felt rushed.
"All ready, yoi?" She heard the sound of Marco's voice.
She turned to see him leaning against the door frame, bored eyes looking at her. She was reminded of when he said the exact same line to her when their journey began and he came into her room on the Red Force to call her out to the deck, so that they could leave. Both had no doubt in their mind back then. No doubt that they'd bring Ace back to the Moby Dick.
"All set and good to go," She said back, using the line she had told him with a smile back in the beginning of their short adventure. Aiko gestured all around them with a wave of her hand. "Tofu's a good ship. So, make sure you take proper care of her, okay?"
"Leave it to me, yoi." He said with a smirk as he took a few steps forward, surveying the room that had nothing left in it.
All their things were gathered on that one table, the books and maps would be moved to the Moby Dick once Marco met up with his crew, since Aiko had assured him that the Red Force had multiple copies of everything there anyway. Tofu was just one of many paddle ships owned by the Red Hair Pirates, she was disposable when compared to the Red Force, so it was perfectly alright for Marco to take her. At least Aiko knew that he'd give her away to someone who needed her, since Marco wasn't the type to abandon a ship that had been nothing but good to the both of them.
He only furthered that thought when he continued speaking, "I'll give her to someone that'll treat her well."
"Thank you." She murmured, glad that he was so reliable. Tofu was in good hands.
"Anything for you, yoi." He said as he looked fondly around their room, before letting his eyes rest on her. It was only for a short time, but this ship was home for them. He'd miss it.
"What's with that look?" Aiko asked when she caught him staring at her. "Will you be lonely without me here?"
"I always am, yoi." He replied, rubbing the back of his head in an attempt to hide just how much he'd miss this. Her stupid arguments, her constant innuendos, her sake loving attitude, just… her.
"Should I come visit you once you get back then?" She asked, not really sure what she was doing. They had never spoken of meeting up before, it just made things sound so much more serious than how it was supposed to be between them. Made things more real, in a way.
He looked at her, somewhat surprised by her suggestion. Was she really asking him to meet up with her? He felt extremely happy for a moment, just one quick instant, before it was replaced by the thought of her going around every day on a different adventure in a place he didn't know, the thought of the two of them only meeting when time would permit and the worst was, the downright nagging thought of what would happen should their Captains decide that they wanted to fight each other. The first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't be sleeping with the enemy. No matter how much he lov—
He stopped his thoughts, not thinking about it and instead letting his defenses back up. Letting his brain take control. He didn't need his emotions involved, his head already knew what he had to say, just because his heart couldn't seem to catch up didn't mean that what he had decided back on Weatherton wasn't right. He had found out long ago that his heart was slow, it was never able to keep up with the decisions his brain made when they concerned the woman before him. The woman who was steadily growing more and more embarrassed at what she had just suggested they do.
"Geez. I was just joking." She muttered scratching her cheek and diverting her eyes to try and cover up some of her embarrassment at her stupid suggestion. It wasn't like that between them, it never was. She had to remember that. Had to lock up these emotions and let her brain take control, just as she had always done whenever they met. "So stop staring at me, it's unnerving."
She was lying about it being a joke.
He could tell.
It was so obvious. But he didn't call her out on it. It would be too awkward. Instead, he teased her… like always.
"I didn't mean to stare, yoi. I was just afraid of what you'd do to me if I said the wrong answer."
"Nothing those blue flames can't heal." She replied easily, a small sad grin on her face. She knew that they had to follow their heads. She knew that they had to leave all of their unnecessary feelings here, she knew it very well…
But God, it hurt.
He lit up one of his blue flames and smirked as if to prove some kind of point.
"Stop that." She said with an easy going grin as she gestured with a hand towards him, to the way his blue flames lit up his smirking face in the darkness around them. "It's creepy."
His smirk went back to his neutral face as he lit more flames just to infuriate her. The woman rolled her eyes at the action. "Why? Do I scare you, Hon?" He teased.
She smiled, while shaking her head in a silent 'no.'
The Red Hair pirate slowly walked up to him, before raising her arm. Her fingers half an inch away from touching the dark blue tattoo decorating his chest.
"This is comforting." She didn't know if she meant the power that the mark on his chest represented or the presence of the man standing before her. His presence that filled up the entire room, his presence that naturally took in the atmosphere around him and released it, making it his. Completely owning the very air around him.
"Hmmm…?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she kept her eyes focused on his chest. Tracing the outline of his tattoo, all the while making sure not to touch his skin. He was glad for that, Marco didn't want her to touch him. Not now. If she touched him now he was sure that he'd lose his already fragile composure. It would break and shatter and he wouldn't be able to control himself. Self-control. That was something he absolutely needed, especially with what was going on in the world right now.
"This symbol…" She muttered, staring at it for a moment longer, before her honey eyes met his. "Always makes me relax when I see it."
"Pops' mark, yoi?" He questioned, letting his curiosity take ahold of his mouth as he then asked, "Or his mark on me?"
Her eyes didn't leave his as she whispered, "On you."
This felt wrong, but in some ways just right. As if this was how it should be. It felt nice to hear her say those things to him, the kinds of things he didn't want her saying to anyone else. The air around them was getting thick with tension again, so he teased her once more, trying yet again to relieve the heavy atmosphere.
"Doesn't that mean you love me?" But this time, he felt a rancid taste in his mouth the moment the words left his lips.
She hastily pulled her hand away from the proximity of his body, before giving Marco that perfect grin of hers. It looked forced, but it was there and it still made her look beautiful. Smiles did that to a woman.
"You wish." She teased as she went over to her bags. Marco watched as she looked through the room, checking to see if she had forgotten anything. When she was sure she hadn't she nodded in approval to herself, before grabbing the strap of her overly large bag. She gave him that stupidly huge smile again, the one that could rival his brother's. When he saw it, thoughts of Ace and his nearing execution once again unwillingly filled his mind, reminding him what he needed to do. He snapped out of his quick stupor though when he saw her tighten her hold on the strap, before effortlessly tossing the heavy luggage over her shoulder. "I'll have the Fishman that coated the ship carry out the crates of alcohol I bought for my mates. The ones from my hometown."
"I'll give him a hand later." He said, something in his chest clenching uncomfortably at what he knew was about to come.
Aiko cocked her head to the side, giving the room one last once over. "I'll explore the town until my mates arrive, are you gonna head out to Fishman Island already?"
It was still a few hours early, but nevertheless he replied, "Yea."
She nodded her head slightly, before saying those words that she always did when it was time for her to leave his side. "It was nice seeing you again, hot stuff."
He closed his eyes in content at this moment, before he answered in the usual, "You've been a pleasure, yoi."
She gave him a wry grin, not like he could see it. "I'll take that as an 'I'll miss you.'"
"Always, yoi." He muttered as he opened his eyes to get one last look at her. "I'll see you soon, Killer Punch."
"Until then, Phoenix." She replied with the usual delighted grin.
Aiko wasn't one to let go of the things she wanted, but if he didn't want anything more, if he didn't chase after her even when she suggested that they meet up sometime in the future then she'd stop. It was enough that she tried at least once. There was a thin line between determination and desperation, a line she was not in any circumstances going to play with. Now, she could lock away these feelings without regret, put them in a box and shove it in the corner of her mind, the way she had been doing for years. The way he had been doing for years. With her bag thrown haphazardly over her shoulder, the raven haired woman made her way past him without another look back.
In that split second, thoughts raced through Marco's mind as she slipped carefully by him, so that she wouldn't accidentally touch him in any way. He couldn't help but think that she was about to be gone from his grasp once again. When would they next meet? Would they even see each other again? What if something happened to her in her currently injured state? What if she found a lover? What kind of guy would he be? Did she think about him when they were apart? Where was she going? Back to Akagami? Was he allowed to follow even though he was her enemy? No? Why?
Senseless thoughts clouded his mind, questions he already knew the answers to. Stupid questions that decided to surface along with a torrent of emotion because his head was finally acknowledging the fact that she was once again leaving, his heart reacting to the thought by aching to the point that he actually grimaced at the pain. It felt as if his heart was being torn apart, and no matter how many times his flames went over the spot on his chest, it wouldn't heal. He was an open wound, a bleeding, gaping wound that she had band aided with her presence and reopened with every step away.
He closed his eyes and took a breath.
'You two know each other well?'
'Then what is she?'
'Why aren't you out finding your woman?'
'Just who are you trying to preach to?!'
'A girl! What else?!'
In the next second, Marco no longer let himself think, he just moved.
For once, the details weren't important.
"AIKO, YOI!" He rushed into the hall, completely different from his usual self that always took his time with everything. His noisy steps echoing as his eyes found the woman's familiar back. It took him half a second… just half a second and he was in back of her. Tanned hand gripping her arm hard enough to bruise.
"Wait." He said lowly, his voice –almost- frantic as he took a deep breath. Said woman looked at him with wide eyes, she wanted to speak, but her voice had gotten caught in her throat. "You… Don't have to leave right now, yoi."
He could see her stiffen, her entire body going absolutely rigid at his words.
"Hey… Marco." She whispered, averting her gaze. Unsure of what she was supposed to be doing. But… his name felt nice to say, rolling off her tongue in a pleasant sort of way. Her mates used to tell her that nicknames were a sign of affection, in their case, however, they were a cover. Something they called each other because they couldn't mask the emotion in their voices whenever one's name rolled out of the other's lips.
"Yea…?" He answered, his grip around her arm tightening, but she didn't complain. She'd never tell him to let go.
She looked at him head on this time, those honey eyes shining brightly. "What are we?"
He didn't know.
So, how was he supposed to answer?
He could tell her what they weren't.
That was easy.
They weren't lovers nor were they sex buddies, weren't friends nor were they strangers. He wasn't her shoulder to cry on, he wasn't her anchor or pillar, he wasn't her knight in shining armor. She wasn't the one who cared for him, she wasn't his support, she wasn't his confidante.
An answer through inadequate words, he couldn't do… and that was okay. He was always an actions speaks louder kind of guy anyway. With a strong hand, he grabbed the back of her neck and yanked her forward. Meeting her lips in a searing kiss, one filled with need and barely restrained desire.
They didn't speak, words were no longer necessary. Instead, they caressed, grabbed, and smoothed their fingers over every inch of skin available. Aiko let her hands trail up the expanse of his chest and up to his shoulders, where she made a move to push off his open purple jacket. The blond reluctantly took his hands away from exploring her sides to let her fully shed his jacket carelessly onto the wooden floor, which took all of a second, before his hands were back on her. The two still not breaking their intense liplock. Marco's tongue had long invaded her mouth, the wet appendage exploring freely until her lips clamped down on it and sucked like a lollipop. The sounds of heavy breathing, moist kisses and constant shuffling echoed throughout the hallways of their ship. As if the very walls were storing and keeping the sounds in memory of its first owners.
He broke their kiss, only for him to run his tongue down the side of her neck. His hands slipping into the sides of her shirt, before running them tantalizingly slow over her curves. He could hear her breath hitching as he continued in his ministrations, not giving her time to breathe. It had been far too long since the last time he did this, it felt as if he had been waiting forever just to finally touch the woman currently in his arms the way he used to.
And now… he just couldn't get enough.
More, more, more.
He needed more of her.
Tanned hands bunched up her thin shirt and with a strong tug, completely ripped the thing in two. The wrecked cloth falling to the floor in a ragged mess. His teeth grazed her neck as she pushed on his chest, trying to get him to back up, so that they could go back to their bed. They tried. God, did they try. But, the two only made it through the front door, before her hands grabbed the golden accessory she had given him and dropped it carelessly to the floor. They had somehow lost their shoes along the way. The back of Marco's thighs hit the table in the middle of their shared room as he sunk his teeth into her uninjured shoulder, making her cry out. A sound that had blood rushing to his cock and making his loose pants feel about ten times tighter. Her hands clawed at his chest, leaving red marks in their wake.
He untied the sari like skirt around her waist, which he was pretty sure was just some kind of undersized picnic blanket. The thing pooling at her feet.
He didn't take the time to admire the view.
They didn't have that luxury.
He had to head out to Fishman Island in a few hours. Instead, he pushed his packed belongings off the table, the bag falling with a loud 'thud' as his things spilled out over the floor. But, he didn't pay it too much attention as he grabbed her by the thighs, quickly switching their positions. Hoisting the woman up on the table, so he could stand between her legs as his hands made quick work of discarding her bra, before roughly squeezing the large mounds in a way that had her breathing in and out deeply.
Scarred hands made their way down his tattooed chest as she began untying the tight knot of his blue sash. Marco used one hand to help her as the other busied itself by pinching her sensitive nipple. His lips were busy nibbling at her neck as they finally loosened his tight sash. The Phoenix pulled back for a moment, grabbing his sash and expertly using it to bring her closer to him as he ran it behind her and pulled roughly. She would have fallen right off the table, but instead roughly collided with his body. Her heat harshly hitting his thigh, making her let out a sudden yell.
His cock throbbed at the sound, eyes flashing in want as he looked down where her core was pressed up against his thigh. His pants and her soaked panties the only barrier between sensitive flesh. He kept his gaze there, the two breathing deeply. He wanted to take her, but… not yet.
"Did you really miss me this much, yoi?" He asked, hands dropping his sash.
The long appendages moving to squeeze her nipples. Her bandages were loosening and he could just barely make out her injured shoulder. The thought of the scar he'd left there had his eyes lighting up in some kind of sick, twisted, sadistic pleasure. His mouth replaced one of his hands, blowing hot breath over her areola as his now free hand moved down to run a featherlike touch over her covered heat. Bringing up his slightly wet hands and showing it to the woman. "You're already ready, see?"
He placed his fingers into her mouth, the woman biting down harshly as he slightly winced. There was barely any light left in their small room, the sun already down and the only source of illumination came from their small window.
"Did you always talk this much, Marco?" She insulted, all bite. But, he could tell she was getting impatient with him and his teasing because she had begun rubbing her heat against his thigh, trying to create some kind of friction.
"What? Do you want me that bad?" He teased, her juices were soaking his pants.
"Oh. Don't tell me…" She suddenly stopped and shot him a smug look. "Are you purposely being slow because you're trying to cover up the fact that you've gotten too old to perform properly?"
He growled at the comment, hands pulling her hair, forcing her head back, so he could stare into those defiant eyes. Her triumphant smirk did things to him, made all kinds of things run through his mind. Dark, sinful things.
He didn't say a thing, just looked into those eyes. He didn't need to say anything, didn't need to tease her with his words any longer. No, this time… he could show her. His hands moved swiftly and tore her underwear, the woman frowning at the sight for a moment, before she saw his head hovering right over her heat. Both hands lifting her thighs and making sure she remained spread out before him. Marco's teeth grazed and nibbled at her inner thigh for all of a second, before he went tongue first through her slick folds and into her core.
"Mmmphh…" Aiko muffled her moan by biting down as he continued to run that skilled tongue of his over her. Running the flat of it over the entire slit, before moving back to her most sensitive spots.
"We're the only ones here, yoi." He said, mouth still over her vagina. Her juices wet his lips, but he didn't pay it any attention. She could feel the vibrations of his every word and her fists clenched. Marco didn't like the fact that she was restraining herself, she was never quiet. At least not for him. "So scream for me."
"Make me." Came the breathless reply and he smirked against her folds, before slowly running his tongue in small circles over her clit in a way that had her hands going straight to her mouth to muffle the yell of pleasure she was about to let out for all the world to hear. He made loud noises as he sucked and licked over her, knowing from previous experience that it turned her on more and when she let out a scream that even her scarred hands couldn't muffle, he knew that this was the body that was made for him.
He knew exactly where to touch, exactly what to do to get the best reaction and he did it confidently. Once he could feel her tightening around his tongue, he pulled the wet appendage out. She wasn't allowed to cum, not until he was buried inside her. He watched her move into a sitting position, face strained because of his unfinished work. She was glaring at him as she breathed intensely.
"What do I get for making you scream, yoi?" He smirked smugly.
He watched as she ran her hands tantalizingly slow over her slim body, over her sides and the curve of her breasts. He could see the tension in her movements; on edge because of his previous actions. "Am I not a good enough prize?"
His smirk grew, the tent in his pants only further proving that she was more than a good enough reward. "You saying that you're all mine, yoi?"
She pressed a loosely bandaged hand to his face, stroking his cheek. "If you want me to be."
He couldn't take it anymore.
He shed his pants, giving her only one moment to take in his size, before he picked her up from the table and let himself fall on their bed, Aiko on top of him. He was quick to grab her waist as she hovered above him. Holding her in place and rubbing the head of his throbbing cock against her folds. Her juices spilled down his hard length, leaving a cold feeling that had his hands tightening around her hips hard enough to bruise.
"Aiko." He called, their eyes meeting for a moment as he poured out unsaid feelings into his gaze, emotion piled upon emotion. All his longing and internal struggle over the years and he noticed that she met the ferocity of his gaze with her own. Matching his unspoken confession with the same passion as she whispered his name.
"Marco." God, it felt good to hear that.
Without another word, he roughly brought her hips down. Sheathing himself in her and burying his length as deep as he possibly could.
"Nn—AHH!" Aiko let out a surprised gasp, before it evolved partway. Becoming a sultry moan that rang in his ears as she begun moving up and down above him at a steady pace. He left his hands on her hips, bringing her down harder with each passing thrust as he moved his own hips to meet hers.
The only sounds ringing inside the room was the sound of skin slapping against skin and pleasure filled moans and groans. Permeating through the air and tainting it, giving it that heavy scent of good sex. Sweat ran down Aiko's body and Marco watched her large mounds bounce each time she went down on him. He loved that. The bounce.
A fire welled up in Aiko's stomach, a parched one waiting to be quenched as she rode faster and faster above him. Her cries unrestrained as the man beneath her continued to groan, watching with loving eyes as the woman got closer and closer to his peak. He couldn't see her well because of the lighting, so he did something that had her face flushing a beautiful dark shade. He let his blue flames light up and lick at parts of his body, brightening up the area around them and casting a soft light as they continued filling up their passions.
He could feel himself coming close, and as her folds tightened around him in her blissful release, he almost went over the edge. "M-M-Marco!" She cried out.
He continued to move her hips as her toes curled and she let herself get lost in the moment, the Phoenix giving himself a self-satisfied smirk as he followed after her. The man groaning loudly as he whispered her name. She began riding him again, letting him ride out his high as she tried her best to move in her still overly sensitive state. His grip on her hips tightened, leaving bruises, before they went limp. They weren't new to this, no, they had had their fair share of carnal pleasure. But, this time was different. Marco could feel it somewhere in his gut as Aiko let herself fall on top of him, his light blue flames surrounding them in a soft light.
This wasn't like usual.
Then again, when the two of them were involved, nothing ever was.
She hovered once more above him, their faces close. Marco began stroking her cheek and as if that were some sort of signal their faces drew close and their lips came together in a soft, slow kiss. Gentle. Nothing else mattered now because having her in the circle of his arms was Heaven in its own right. He knew now, no, perhaps he knew all along. Things would always be like this between them.
He had heard from his babbling mates once that time passed slowly when you were with the one you loved.
Liars.
Aiko opened her blurry vision, trying to make out the odd colors around her for one drawn out, incoherent second, before she blinked the blurriness away. Letting her vision clear up with each bat of her eyelids. She was in bed, having fallen asleep for about half an hour, after another few rounds in bed. The blanket was thrown over her shoulders and when she looked around, she found Marco looking out the window. He only had his pants on as he stood admiring the sparkling ocean. It seemed he had been awake for quite a while, or maybe he had never slept in the first place. His things were off the floor and sat back inside his bag on the table. Their clothes –at least what was left of hers- were gathered and folded neatly beside it.
Aiko stood slowly, covering herself with the blanket as she walked towards the Phoenix. "Marco." She mumbled lovingly into his bare back, wrapping her arms around him. "I want you to look at me not the view."
He didn't turn to look at her.
She sighed at his lack of response, before continuing, "How much longer do we have?"
"Ten minutes, yoi." He muttered.
Ten minutes before he had to make his way to Fishman Island and prepare for war. She'd be left alone for another hour or two, waiting for her mates. But, that couldn't be helped. He needed to leave earlier, so he could arrive at Fishman Island at the same time as his Pops. The Phoenix guessed that his Captain was already well on his way, they probably already got the Moby Dick and its many miniature paddle ships coated before even crossing back into Paradise.
"Y'know…" Marco felt her kiss his back. "I've never been to Fishman Island."
His chest squeezed painfully at the hidden suggestion in her words and he held tightly onto one of her arms wrapped around him. "You'd sacrifice your Red Hair Pirate pride and come with me, yoi?" He asked, already knowing her answer.
She tightened her arms around him, burying herself as much as possible into him. As if trying to mold her body to his. Shanks' and her crews' grinning faces ran through her mind, the thought of making Shanks the Pirate King and being surrounded by her mates in a large banquet made something inside her clench.
"Then… give me an answer this time, Phoenix." There it was again, that concealment of feelings by using a nickname. "What are we?"
He hated how it was so easy for her to have his mind whirling just from a few words. How easy it was for her to have him unable to reply. As if she had wrenched his mouth open, held him by the tongue and squeezed.
"Victims of pride." He finally answered. That was exactly what they were. Two people that couldn't be together because of the pride they carried in their dreams for their Captains, because of the pride they had in the crews they sailed with.
She laughed bitterly, the kind he never wanted to hear come out of her mouth. "I think you're right."
His eyes looked at the clock on the nearby desk. Four minutes. Time was running out.
All he wanted was one moment.
A moment to be lost in the haven that was their ship. He wanted to feel like the problems of the real world weren't knocking on the door, getting ready to crush him. Wanted to feel like his heart wasn't about to tear itself apart as it beat loudly in his rib cage. In this one moment he'd kiss her, tell her he loved her and never let her go. But unfortunately, this wasn't a time for heated declarations, wasn't a time for whispered promises, wasn't a time for confessions—.
"I'm tired." Aiko confessed. "This is tiring."
"Should we give up, yoi?"
She nodded into his back and something dropped between them. An invisible thing that clattered to the ground, shattering into millions of tiny pieces. Her arms were like iron bars around him, holding onto him as if she couldn't bear to be apart. Her words contradicting her actions.
"I've had enough."
—It was a time to finally end things.
Killer Punch Aiko sat on one of the many crates surrounding her. They were filled with bottles upon bottles of expensive booze that she had gotten from Sake Island. Dozens of large bubbles tried to float up towards the moon that was high in the sky, soon, the sun would rise again, putting an end to this unbearably long day. So much happened and now, everything was once more about to change. She'd be reunited with her crew. Shanks and the others, no doubt anxious to see her.
Aiko stood on the soft grass of Saboady Archipelago as she looked at Tofu. No. Looked at Phoenix Marco, first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, standing on the coated deck of their once shared ship.
This time, for once in her life, she was leaving his side without any regrets. This time, it really was goodbye to their intimate acquaintance. This time… was the final one. The next time they'd see each other, they would be enemies. Nothing more, everything less. In four minutes, -four measly minutes- they had cleared the air between them. Getting as straight to the point as possible, nothing in their words, but brutal honesty. All the tension was finally gone and their hearts finally seemed to catch up with what their brains had known since long ago. That, a relationship would never work between rival pirates.
"Hon." Marco called, giving her a tiny, barely perceptible grin. Memorizing her features and imprinting it in his mind.
He hadn't healed the marks she had left on him from a few hours ago, they would fade into nothing soon anyway. Fade like they hadn't mattered, fade into the past like the rest of their relationship. He wished he could have a scar or something, anything to show that what they had was real. Anything to remind him that the time they spent together wasn't his cruel imagination playing tricks on him. She would have that scar on her hand and shoulder, forever marring her pale skin, but what would he have to remember her by when his blond hair turned white? When his name was only an echo of the past? When he was only a legend spoken about in bars?
A worn out, yellowing photo of her during their time on Elbaf? Pictures were too fragile. A golden accessory? Something that sentimental shouldn't be so easily breakable.
"You've been a pleasure, yoi." He said for one last time, he felt something drop in the pit of his stomach. What it was, he wasn't stupid enough to try and find out.
She gave him that large, perfect smile of hers, waving her uninjured arm in farewell. Her eyes crinkling in happiness? Sadness? Or both? He didn't know. It was always hard to tell with women. "I'll take that as an 'I'll miss you.'"
"Always, yoi." He muttered, raising a hand in goodbye. "Let this be the last time, Aiko."
"I'll never say those words again, Marco." She replied, her grin feeling a lot heavier.
He closed his eyes, before pressing down on a lever. The bubble around Tofu getting larger and larger. "Take care of her!" Aiko called out as he and Tofu began sinking lower and lower underwater.
"Yea." He replied, not taking his eyes off her. The entire lower half of the ship was already inside the water. The bubble, a translucent protection against the deep sea.
Aiko walked over to the edge of the island, shooting him one last loving glance. Her eyes brimming with some kind of unspoken sadness that the Phoenix really didn't want to see. He watched with soft eyes as she cupped a hand around her mouth and yelled.
"Maaaarrcoooo!" She was smiling that stupidly huge smile again. The one as bright as the sun. Absolutely blinding. "I'm thirtyyyyy twwooooo!"
Did she just…?
His eyes widened at her words and he gave her a rare smile. "I'm thirty six, yoi."
"AHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed heartily, the jovial sound ringing in his ears. "So, the number of women you've banged is greater than your ag—"
"Shut up, yoi!" Marco said loudly, interrupting her teasing. She'd never let him live that down, would she?
Her smile widened as she tried a different approach. This would be the last time she'd get to tease him like this, after all. The next time they saw each other, they would be enemies. They'd fight, they'd injure each other not for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of making their Captains the King. "You're almost as old as Captain!"
His mouth twitched at the comment, eyes narrowing to glare playfully at her. "Don't go comparing me to Akagami, yoi!"
Aiko's smile left her face as she stared fondly down at him, he was sinking lower and lower into the water. Marco looked right back at the woman, face that indifferent mask. Their feelings would be left here on Sabaody Archipelago, the feelings that should have been abandoned in Weatherton, in Elbaf, in Hand Island. The same ones that had chased, haunted and plagued the back of their minds for the past decade. They could finally leave them behind.
He watched as she brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, his own observant ones taking in her scarred hands. He had forgotten to ask about her scars, maybe nex—
Ah.
That's right.
There wouldn't be a next time.
"Goodbye, Marco." He heard her say. Those eyes of hers regarding him carefully. She seemed so vulnerable right now, so different from the woman he held in his arms just a few hours ago. As if she had lost something. His chest was squeezing in an uncomfortable way. Tight. Hot. On fire.
"Goodbye, Aiko."
And the ship descended, blurring his vision of the woman that stood above the waves.
A/N: What I was listening to while writing: Niji by Ninomiya Kazunari. You can find the vid on my livejournal. I hoped you listened to it, before reading. It sets the mood, I guess? Anyway, the previews, new minisodes and the HARMLESS FUN AGE CHART is now available for viewing!
New updating times up on my LIVEJOURNAL. This will be updated weekly again and I'll also be releasing a new One Piece fic! More info written there. You can find the link on my profile.
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!